The Potomac Edison Company Rate Selection Guide
The Potomac Edison Company is a FirstEnergy electric distribution utility serving roughly 448,500 customers across western Maryland and West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Maryland customers participate in a competitive retail-choice market (with Standard Offer Service as the default), while West Virginia remains fully regulated.
The Potomac Edison Company Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (Small) | commercial | Customer charge + per-kWh (see filed tariff) | Small businesses below demand threshold |
| GS Demand / Large Power | industrial | Customer + demand (per-kW) + energy charges (see filed tariff) | Demand-metered C&I sites; candidates for competitive supply |
Market Overview
Maryland operates a competitive retail-choice electricity market. Potomac Edison provides regulated delivery service to all customers and serves as the default supplier through Standard Offer Service (SOS); commercial and industrial customers may instead purchase generation from any licensed competitive retail electricity supplier. West Virginia is fully regulated with no retail choice.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the The Potomac Edison Company Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Potomac Edison's Maryland delivery (distribution) rates and Standard Offer Service (SOS) supply rates are set in its PSC-approved retail tariff, with the current tariff effective January 1, 2026. Residential SOS was set at 10.202 cents/kWh for October 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026, and the next SOS period (June 1, 2026 onward) is set via competitive procurement. A new residential time-of-use rate launched April 20, 2026 at roughly 16 cents/kWh on-peak and 9 cents/kWh off-peak (rising to ~17 cents/~10 cents on June 1, 2026). Commercial and industrial customers are billed under General Service and demand-based schedules whose specific charges are published in the filed tariff book rather than in summary form.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service - Small (GS) | commercial | Small commercial customers below the demand threshold for time-of-day/demand schedules. | Monthly customer charge plus per-kWh distribution and (if on SOS) supply charges. Specific cents/kWh values are published in the filed retail tariff; commercial SOS is procured separately from residential SOS. | — |
| General Service - Medium / Large (Demand-Metered) | commercial | Medium and large commercial customers metered for demand. | Customer charge, per-kW demand charge, and per-kWh energy/distribution charges. Demand and energy components are detailed in the filed tariff; eligible customers may shop competitive supply. | — |
| Large Power / Industrial Service | industrial | Large industrial and primary/transmission-voltage customers. | Demand-based schedule with customer charge, per-kW demand charges, and per-kWh distribution charges; generation supply typically procured competitively. Charges set in the filed tariff book. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small business / small commercial site
Small commercial sites below the demand-metering threshold on General Service - Small.
Usage is energy-driven (per-kWh) without significant demand charges, so the priority is benchmarking the SOS supply price and shopping competitive supply for a better fixed rate.
- Pull 12+ months of usage from My Account before shopping supply
- Benchmark competitive offers against current commercial SOS
- Watch for variable-rate spikes after promo periods
Mid-size commercial (demand-metered)
Medium/large commercial customers metered for demand on General Service demand schedules.
Demand (kW) charges become a material bill component at this size, so interval-data-driven peak management plus competitive supply procurement deliver the biggest savings.
- Use EDI 814/867 or the SU-MR portal to obtain interval data
- Target coincident-peak reduction to lower per-kW demand charges
- Solicit competitive supplier quotes against SOS
Large industrial / primary-voltage site
Large industrial and primary/transmission-voltage customers on Large Power service.
These sites have the most to gain from competitive supply hedging and demand response; high load factor and demand charges justify granular interval data and PJM DR participation.
- Establish EDI trading-partner access for automated interval data
- Evaluate PJM demand response via a Curtailment Service Provider
- Negotiate block-and-index or custom supply structures
Multi-building commercial portfolio (benchmarking)
Owners of Maryland commercial buildings over 35,000 sq ft tracking energy performance.
Whole-building aggregated data via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager enables benchmarking and targeted efficiency investment across a portfolio.
- Request aggregated whole-building data from Potomac Edison
- Use Portfolio Manager to rank sites by energy intensity
- Combine benchmarking with demand management on worst performers
Historical Rate Trends
Maryland Standard Offer Service supply rates are reset on a defined schedule via competitive procurement, and distribution rates change through PSC rate cases. Recent notable changes include the SOS reset for the 2025-2026 period and the 2026 launch of a residential time-of-use rate.
April 20, 2026
Launched optional residential Time-of-Use rate (~16 cents on-peak / ~9 cents off-peak).
~44% off-peak discount vs on-peakJanuary 1, 2026
Updated retail tariff effective; PSC-approved revisions take effect.
n/aOctober 1, 2025
Residential SOS supply set at 10.202 cents/kWh through May 31, 2026.
n/aOverall trend: Supply rates fluctuate with wholesale market procurement; delivery rates trend modestly upward through periodic rate cases.
Next expected change: Next Standard Offer Service supply period begins June 1, 2026 (procured/set in early 2026).
Cost Optimization Strategies
For Maryland C&I customers, the largest controllable levers are competitive supply procurement (benchmarked against SOS) and demand (kW) management. Interval data access through EDI or the SU-MR portal is the foundation for both.
Shop competitive generation supply
For: All Maryland C&I customers
Solicit competitive retail supplier offers and benchmark against Potomac Edison's Standard Offer Service to lock favorable generation pricing or terms.
Manage billed demand (kW)
For: Demand-metered commercial & industrial
Use interval data to identify and shave coincident demand peaks, lowering per-kW demand charges on medium/large GS and industrial schedules.
Shift load to off-peak (TOU)
For: TOU-eligible customers
Where a time-of-use schedule applies, shift discretionary load to lower-priced off-peak periods.
Benchmark with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
For: MD commercial buildings >35,000 sq ft
Pull aggregated whole-building data to benchmark energy intensity and target efficiency investments.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download The Potomac Edison Company interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
Maryland customers may purchase generation supply from any licensed competitive retail electricity supplier while Potomac Edison continues to provide regulated delivery and consolidated billing. Default Standard Offer Service is the benchmark to beat.
How to Compare The Potomac Edison Company Suppliers
- 01Pull 12-24 months of interval/usage data via the portal, EDI, or SU-MR
- 02Confirm your rate class and current SOS price as a benchmark
- 03Solicit quotes from licensed Maryland suppliers (fixed vs. indexed)
- 04Compare all-in generation pricing and contract terms against SOS
- 05Enroll with the chosen supplier; Potomac Edison continues delivery and billing
Contract Terms for The Potomac Edison Company Supply Agreements
- Fixed-price terms (typically 6-36 months)
- Indexed/variable products tied to wholesale market
- Block-and-index or custom structures for large C&I
- Early-termination fees may apply
Common Pitfalls When Shopping The Potomac Edison Company Rates
- Variable rates can spike after a promotional fixed period
- Watch for automatic renewal/evergreen clauses
- Confirm whether quoted price includes all generation/capacity components
- SOS resets periodically — re-benchmark before renewing
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a commercial customer in Maryland get interval (smart meter) data from Potomac Edison?▾
Hourly usage is viewable in the Analyze Usage section of My Account. For machine-readable interval data, large C&I customers and their authorized consultants use EDI 814/867 transactions or the SU-MR third-party portal with a signed Letter of Authorization. Real-time interval data is available via Zigbee pulse service for an installation fee.
Can an energy consultant pull our usage data on our behalf?▾
Yes. The consultant registers with FirstEnergy's third-party data access program (or Maryland Supplier Services), submits a signed Letter of Authorization, and then retrieves data through the SU-MR portal or via EDI. Individual-account access requires the LOA; aggregated/anonymous data sets can be requested without one.
Does Potomac Edison support Green Button?▾
Green Button Download My Data and Connect My Data are not explicitly documented for Potomac Edison. FirstEnergy relies on NAESB EDI (ANSI X12) for automated third-party data exchange. C&I customers needing standardized exports should plan around EDI or the SU-MR portal and confirm any ESPI-format options with Supplier Services.
We're a large C&I site in Maryland — do we have to buy supply from Potomac Edison?▾
No. Maryland is a deregulated retail-choice market. You can stay on Potomac Edison's default Standard Offer Service or contract generation supply from any licensed competitive retail electricity supplier. Potomac Edison still provides regulated delivery and consolidated billing in either case.
Is West Virginia service different?▾
Yes. West Virginia is a fully regulated market with no retail choice; Potomac Edison is the bundled default provider. Data-access mechanisms (portal, EDI, pulse service) are similar, but there is no competitive supplier shopping.
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